Too Perfect to Be Real
by Merc
Summary: Darien has decided to propose to Serena one day, but when he meets one of his past friends Serena becomes upset and desides to leave Japan.
1. The Plan

Title: Too Perfect To Be Real  
Author: Merc and Usagi   
Chapter: Prologue  
E-mail: PrincessMercury15@talkcity.com (Merc)  
LunaRock17@aol.com (Usagi)  
Rating: G  
Disclaimer: We don't own Sailor Moon and probably never will, but we can dream...right?  
  
Author's notes:  
  
Hey all, Merc and Usagi here, with our first fic...hopefully all of you will enjoy it. But before we give you the story we want to say Thank you to a few people for helping us out! First of all Una, who has inspired me (Merc) to actually begin writing fanfics...and then a HUGE thank you to SS, who posted this story originally on Fanfiction.net. *hugs* Thanks you two! Ok, We hope you enjoy this!   
  
~Merc and Usagi  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
"Thanks Mrs. Tsukino. I really can't express my gratitude to you for helping me out." Darien adored Serena's mom. She was like the mother he never had, at least not that he could remember. But Serena's father was a different story. Darien was scared of him. He had been since the first day he meet him. It was the day before he broke things off with Serena because of a dream. But things were different now. He loved her and they were together. That's what counted. Serena's brother? Well, he was just...there.  
  
"No problem Darien. Oh I can't believe this is happening!" Tears started to form in the mother's eyes and Darien could hear her sniffle. He could also hear the distinct sound of grumbling coming from a very mad and over-protective father in the background. "It seems only yesterday I was changing her diapers and holding her in my arms!" She grabbed a nearby napkin and wiped away the tears.  
  
"Well then, I'll see you tomorrow...I still don't know how you'll get her ready without her suspecting anything." Darien was still skeptical on whether or not Serena would find out.  
  
Mrs. Tsukino smiled sweetly. "Darien, my dear, there are just some things you don't know about the relationship between a mother and her daughter. I can get her ready, don't you worry! Just practice your line for tomorrow so you don't screw up!" She smiled knowing exactly what Darien's face looked like on the other end of the phone.  
  
"Well," he started with a hint of doubt in his voice, "I trust you. Bye Mrs. Tsukino and thank you again." He really did need to go over his lines, so he had to get off.  
  
"You're very welcome...bye Darien and I'll see you tomorrow!" She hung up the phone and went back to cleaning the dishes.  
  
"Who was on the phone mom?" A very curious Serena entered the room.   
  
"It was from a friend. You don't know him. He was just checking up on me to see how I was doing." The mother replied casually though very scared inside that Serena had overheard the conversation.  
  
"Oh. Ok, I'll be upstairs!" She walked out of the room leaving a very shocked mother standing there.  
  
"I can't believe she bought that!" She turned around, very relieved, and started to clean again.  
  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
Well, that's it until we decide to post up chapter one (we have all it finished, but we like to leave people hanging...) For those please who actually read this, E-MAIL is something that makes people feel good about their work! (Unless, of course, it's flames...flames=bad...) So, E-MAIL US...Please???? Ja ne!  
  
~Merc and Usagi  



	2. Getting Ready

Title: Too Perfect To Be Real  
Author: Merc and Usagi   
Chapter: 1  
E-mail: PrincessMercury15@talkcity.com   
Rating: G  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon and probably never will, but I can dream...right?  
  
Authors' notes:   
This fic was actually written by two people, me (Merc) and Lizzy (Usagi)...Ok, I just want to take a little bit of time to say thank you to SS...*hugs* You've been a big help SS! THANKIES!! *grins* Any-woo, We hope you all enjoyed reading the prologue, and we sincerely hope that you like chapter one too...  
  
~Merc and Usagi  
  
* * * * * * * *   
  
"Serena! Wake up!" For the past half hour Ilene had been trying very hard to get her daughter out of bed to no avail. Sighing Ilene looked down at her watch. "Serena it's past 12:30!!" Serena just turned over and covered her head with her pillow. Ilene shook her head. "SERENA TSUKINO GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF BED THIS INSTANT!!" She stood waiting for a response...ANY response, but all tht answered was the stillness of the room. "Ok Serena, you force me to do this..." She grabbed the two pigtails that fell from the meatballs on top of Serena's head and pulled them...hard.  
  
"AHH!" Serena's cries could be heard throughout the house, and very possibly the neighborhood, as she clumsily fell to the floor with a thud.  
  
"Ok, ok, I'm up! Did you really need to pull my hair? Sheesh! That hurt!" She yawned as she stepped into her bathroom. "Goodness...does it really matter if I decide to sleep in a little on Saturdays?" She turned the shower on and waited for the water to heat up.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
"Serena, darling, I just got this wonderful idea on how your make-up should be done. Do you think you could spare a couple minutes so I can try it out?" It was about two more hours until Darien would arrive and Ilene needed to get Serena ready. 'In a couple of hours she won't be my baby any more...' her eyes started to water at the thought but she pushed them back.   
  
"Sure mom, I'll be there in a second." Serena, now curious as to what was going on, stood up from the couch in front of the TV and started to walk upstairs. Her mom had very rarely let her put on make-up. She had always thought that Serena didn't need it and therefore shouldn't use it and Serena had always agreed. 'I wonder what's so special about today.' She dismissed the question as she walked upstairs and into her mother's room.  
  
"I think this will look great on you Serena, now sit here." Her mother motioned to a stool that was located in front of a big mirror in the bathroom. On the counter you could see a very wide arrangement of make-up, hair clips and ties, and a huge assortment of jewelry. Serena, very eagerly, sat on the stool. "Now let's begin..." her mother grabbed some make-up and began applying it to her face.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
"Oh wow mom! I look absolutely gorgeous!" A very excited Serena cried as she saw herself once the finishing touches were made. She had medium pink lipstick on with a tad bit of lip-gloss on top to add a shiny affect, her cheeks held a little bit of a pink blush on them, and her eyelids had a silvery-blue shade on them which highlighted her eyes.  
  
"Oh Serena it did work out just like I had planned!" Her mother had a bright smile on her face showing how proud of her work she was. "Here Serena. I'm going to put these on." She grabbed two strings of pearls and wrapped them around Serena's meatballs. "There. Now that that's done, we need to find an outfit to complete it! Come on!" They walked out of the room and into Serena's room.  
  
"Here! This is the perfect dress!" She pulled out a dress with straps, that when on, would go to Serena's feet. It was a pale blue dress with small white flowers around it. The straps were thin and the top hugged her frame quite nicely while the lower part spread out. The back of the dress had a small trailer that made the dress all the prettier. "Put this on and then come down stairs." She handed it to Serena and then left the room.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
He was nervous. There was nothing else to it. Darien walked up to the door and stood there a while. 'What if she isn't ready? What if she says no? What if...what are you talking about Darien? Of course she'll say yes, she loves you stupid!' He smiled. "Mrs. Chiba...I like the way that sounds." His smile grew even bigger.  
  
He lifted his hand to the door and right before he could knock, it opened. "Darien! I thought I could hear someone talking!" Darien smiled at the lady in front of him.  
  
"Here," He held up a dozen red roses. "These are for you." She took them out of his hands and opened the door wider inviting him in.  
  
"Why thank you Darien! They're so beautiful! I see you brought some for Serena too." She eyed the other dozen roses he had in his hand.  
  
"Of course! What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't bring some flowers for my future wife?" He started to chuckle slightly at what he had just said, but the chuckling slowly died when a certain voice came into the room.  
  
"What's so funny? You're supposed to be here for Serena...not my wife! And I'm not even sure I want you here for Serena..." a very furious father called out from the nearby hallway. Darien slowly backed up behind Serena's mother and stayed there for protection should Serena's father turn on him.  
  
"Speaking of Serena...where is that girl? SERENA!!" Ilene's voice sounded through the house. "What's taking so long, I want to see you!"  
  
"Ok, I'm coming!" Serena took one more glance at herself in the mirror and, very pleased with the way she looked, opened the door and walked to the top of the stairs. "Mom, you have the best taste in...Darien!!!" She giggled and slightly blushed at the sight of Darien's face when he looked up at her. His mouth practically dropped to the ground and his eyes were wide open.   
  
She smiled at him. "Well Darien Chiba, I don't think I've ever seen you look so handsome! What are you doing here?" His hair was nicley brushed out, and his bangs fell slightly over his eyes. His deep blue eyes sparkled with happiness and his lips were curled up into a dashing smile. He wore a black tuxedo to complete the very sophisticated look.  
  
"Serena you look...you look...WOW!" Darien greeted her halfway up the stairs looking at her from head to toe. Gorgeous, stunning, beautiful, striking, attractive...these words meant nothing when he saw her.  
  
"You never answered my question." She broke his deep thoughts. "Why are you here?" She looked at his face for an answer.  
  
"Well my princess," He said bowing to her and handing her the roses, "That is for me to know and you to find out! Come now, your carriage awaits you." He held out his arm and Serena quickly took hold of it. Pausing before he reached the door he turned to Ilene. "Well Mrs. Tsukino, you did a lovely job preparing her. I hope you enjoy your evening."  
  
She giggled. "Oh Darien...you always were such a charmer. Have fun you two and don't hurry back!" Ilene smiled at her daughter as she walked out of the door. Turning to her husband she glared at him. "Ken, what did I tell you about being nice to Darien??" Ken began to sulk as Ilene lectured him for the second time that day.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
"Oh Darien! This place is amazing! It reminds me of back on the moon. All those people dancing around in circles without a care in the world. I remember when we were like that." She turned to Darien and lightly kissed him on the nose.   
  
"Your name Sir?" The host looked at the two.   
  
"Darien Chiba." Darien smiled down at the girl in his arms.  
  
"Ah yes, Mr. Chiba. Right this way please." The host started walking and grabbed two menus to take along with them. He led them to a table not far from the entrance. It was against a wall entirely made up of glass for the reason that it was over-looking the bay.  
  
"Oh Darien! This seems too perfect to be real!" Serena looked out the window from her chair. There was a boat in the distance, though you couldn't see the shape of it because it was dark, you could tell it was a boat from the lights that shone from the sides and the horn you could hear faintly in the distance.  
  
I wanted this to be perfect just for you Serena." Darien had continued to stare at her even though her attention was on the view of the bay. 'Nothing can screw this night up...' He smiled to himself as he went over what he was going to say one more time.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
"Darien, I'll be back, I'm going to use the bathroom." Serena got up from her place at the table and walked away.   
  
'I have to do it when she comes back...' Darien got a little nervous once again and began to fiddle with his napkin.  
  
"Hello, may I take your order...Darien?" A very surprised girl stood next to the table with a paper and pen in hand.  
  
"I'm sorry, do I know...Terra?" Darien was equally as surprised by seeing her, as she was to see him. Terra was a good friend of his. He had met her in high school and they had become good friends. He had dated her once, but it didn't work out. They had both agreed on that. But they stayed good friends until she had gone away to Europe for college.  
  
"What are you doing here?" She asked him. "Wait, don't tell me..." she looked at the seat across from him and saw a white purse. "You're here with a girl, right? So where is she? I want to meet her!" She looked around trying to guess which girl was the lucky one.  
  
"She is in the bathroom and actually, I...um...I'm...uh...gonna...sort of...propose to her today." He looked down the nervousness becoming unbearable now.  
  
She had a surprised look on her face but it changed to one of excitement. "Really? Oh that's great! Let me see the ring!" He pulled out a velvety box and opened it to reveal a diamond ring with a shiny gold band. The diamond itself was shaped like a rose and colors danced all around it as the lights from above reflected off of it. "Oh! It's gorgeous! This girl is lucky to have you! But, seeing that she isn't here, I guess you aren't ready to order, so I'll be back later." She hugged him and kissed his cheek before departing.   
  
Darien was the happiest he had ever been. Nothing could change that...he looked in the direction in which Serena had left and his face dropped. There she was. Pain written all over her face.   
  
He couldn't take his eyes off of her as she walked up to the table. All they could do was stare at each other for a few moments until Serena made the first move. She slapped him...hard. The tears that had been threatening to spill over finally did as she turned around and walked away. All he could do was sit and watch her retreating back leaving the restaurant while he rubbed his stinging cheek.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
So what did you think? Please don't hate us for that last part! He was just...shocked and...uh...couldn't move. Yeah! Well, E-MAIL IS VERY GOOD!!! If you don't, then we'll have to come after you all...till next time! Ja ne!  
  
~Merc and Usagi  
  



	3. A Little Too Late

Title: Too Perfect To Be Real  
Author: Merc and Usagi   
Chapter: 2  
E-mail: PrincessMercury15@talkcity.com or LunaRock17@aol.com   
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon...don't you all know that by now???  
  
Author's notes:  
  
Hello all! This is chapter 2 of our story! *Smiles* Well, we hope you enjoyed the last chapter...and I (Merc) would like to thank...Una (and I STILL think your stories are better!) Mizu (You wanted to read this story so bad and here it is!) Sweetrae (who found where I left off [and I quote] "No fair") and of course everyone else at Moonlit (especially those who gave us feedback to our last chapter) and Juno, who has been a really great friend through all the hard times, so...*hand Juno cheesecake* Well minna, we hope you enjoy this next chapter...we wrote it in like 30 minutes...*sweatdrop* it's a little short...ok, Ja!  
  
~Merc and Usagi  
  
**********   
  
Mrs. Tsukino stopped what she was doing at the moment she heard the front door slam. She wiped her hands on the cloth nearby and exited the kitchen just as another door was being slammed. 'Something happened.' She slowly walked up the steps with worry etched into her face.   
  
"Serena? Are you all right? Did Darien do something wrong?" All she could hear were sobs coming from the other end of the door. "Serena, I'm coming in." She twisted the handle and pushed the door open. "Honey, what's wrong?" No response. "Serena?"  
  
"Oh mom!" Serena flung herself into her mother's arms. "He's with another woman! I saw her! She kissed him!" Serena cried into her mother's shoulder as her mom slowly stroked her hair.   
  
"Are you sure Serena? I mean he IS in love with you." She tried to find anyway around what Serena was telling her. Tried to find SOME way to convince Serena and herself that this news was false. But there was no way, not when there was proof of Darien's interest in another girl. Serena had loved Darien to death and beyond. 'Hadn't he realized this? Didn't he know Serena would throw away everything just to be with him?' Obviously not. She was speechless. How she wished that these two were not a perfect match. If it was just a crush she could easily fix the problem with some cheesecake or chocolate or shopping even, but not this time. She slowly rocked Serena back and forth until she had fallen asleep.  
  
**********   
  
He slowly gulped down the third glass of wine as he told his friend how much he loved Serena.  
  
"I'd do anything for her. I'd go to the end of the earth and back. I'd go down to hell and back for her. I...I'd...I WANT HER BACK!" He burst into tears for the second time that night. Terra got out of the chair across the table and went to him.   
  
"Darien, if you want her back so badly, go after her! Explain to her what happened! You shouldn't be telling me how much you love her, cause then she'll never hear it! Go Darien!" He looked at her for a few moments before nodding his head.  
  
"Thank you Terra, for being a great friend." He hugged her tightly then got up and went to his car. He was going to set things right, and he was going to do it tonight.  
  
**********   
  
She twisted around as she heard the doorbell ring. 'Hasn't he done enough damage for one night?' She looked down at her sleeping daughter then got up to answer the door.  
  
**********   
  
Serena slowly woke up at the sound of a doorbell ringing and someone answering the door. Slowly she stood and opened her bedroom door slightly.   
  
"Look Darien, I don't care IF you HAVE to speak with Serena, I don't want you to talk to her! Just stay away from her, or I'll get my husband in here!"  
  
"But Mrs. Tsukino..."  
  
"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT! Listen, up there my daughter as cried her eyes out...and why I ask you? Because the man she truly cared about was kissing another girl!"  
  
"But that girl was my..."  
  
"NO MORE!"  
  
Serena jumped back as she heard the door slam. She turned and walked back to her window and looked out at the starry night. 'Why did he do this to me?' She looked at the moon for the answers she would never find.   
  
**********   
  
'I'm going to talk to her!' A flash of light and some pretty colors surrounded him and then vanished leaving Tuxedo Mask. He looked up at her window where he could see her. She looked heartbroken, and it was all his fault! He needed to talk to her. Looking around he spotted a branch close to Serena's bedroom window.   
  
**********   
  
"Darien..." Sighing her eyes dropped from the moon in the sky to her reflection in the window. "DARIEN!" She looked intently at the white mask that hid his beautiful blue eyes, but caught herself and turned around quickly forgetting that the window was unlocked. She began to walk to the door when she heard the familiar squeak she would always hear when she opened her window. Knowing who would be there and not exactly wanting to see him, she turned around as slowly as possible.  
  
"What are you doing? This is breaking and entering! Get out or I'll...I'll call the police!" She reached out to the phone when a red rose streaked through the air, just barely missing her hand. "Fine, if you're going to be like that...Moth-mmmmm"   
  
"Serena, I hate having to cover your mouth like this, but I need to talk to you. If I uncover your mouth, do you promise not to scream out?" She didn't move. He took this as a yes and slowly took his hand from her mouth. "Serena...that girl...she was just a..."  
  
"Get out."  
  
"What? Serena I told you I needed to talk to..."  
  
"GET OUT DARIEN CHIBA!" He looked at her as the tears threatened to spill.   
  
"Serena? Are you ok in there?" He looked at the door, and then back at Serena, and within a couple of seconds flew out the window and ran home.  
  
"Darien..." She slowly turned back to her bed and cried herself to sleep again.  
  
**********   
  
Well minna? Did you enjoy? Chapter 3 will be up soon hopefully, until then! Ja!  
  
~Merc and Usagi  



	4. Say Good-bye

Title: Too Perfect To Be Real  
Author: Merc and Usagi   
Chapter: 3  
E-mail: PrincessMercury15@talkcity.com and LunaRock17@aol.com  
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: *sigh* I don't own Sailor Moon...isn't that sad????  
  
Author's notes:  
  
BIG thank you goes out to everyone who has read our story so far! It's all of you who push us to write more...and extremely big thank you and mamo-shaped cheesecake goes out to Juno who is the best friend anyone could ever have! Ok, We're sorry if this leaves you hanging, but we had to do this one last time! Ok, enjoy!  
  
~Merc and Usagi  
  
**********   
  
It had been three days since that incident with Darien. She knew she needed to get away. Not just from Tokyo, but from Japan too. That was why she bought the plane ticket. Today was her last day there. She had already said good-bye to her close friends, and now it was time to say good-bye to Andrew.   
  
Slowly, she walked in through the arcade doors. Looking around she noticed the one person she DIDN'T want to see and he just happened to be talking to Andrew. She new that Andrew would come when he had the time, so she sat in the booth closest to the door knowing that once she said good-bye to him she'd have to leave.   
  
Looking back to the two talking she noticed Andrew looking over at her and then turned back to Darien briefly before walking over to her.  
  
"Hey Serena! Would you like a milkshake? It'll be on me!" He smiled down on her. He new the truth, but he wasn't going to explain to Serena. No, that was Darien's job.  
  
"No thanks Andrew. I really don't have the time. I came here to say good-bye." She decided she should continue when she saw Andrew's worried and confused face looking at her. "I'm leaving. I'm moving to America. I was offered a job there...I didn't tell anyone because I knew that they'd try to force me to take it. I wasn't going to because I didn't want to leave anyone here. But..." She sadly looked down. "Things change, ne? It's a wonderful opportunity. One that I'll enjoy." She stopped, very surprised at the warm tears flowing swiftly down her face.  
  
"Oh Serena." He sat down next to her and quietly wrapped his arms around her, trying his best to do what little comforting he could. "Serena, I know that I probably can't change your mind right now, but I need to say this. Think of all you'll be missing out here! You won't be able to see your friends, you won't be able to see your family...we won't be the same without you! The girls will miss you, I'll miss you, and, even though you may be mad at him right now, Darien will miss you most."   
  
Sighing, he gave in. Pulling her to her feet and then into a hug he whispered into her ear. "We'll miss you...don't forget to come back and visit us, ok?" She nodded as she pulled away from him. Wiping away the tears she waved good-bye one last time and walked out of the arcade.   
  
**********   
  
"What did she say Andrew?" Darien looked up at his friend who now arrived back at the table. You could tell by the red in his eyes that he had been crying recently. He had circles around his eyes from lack of sleep and his black hair had not been brushed through very well. All in all, he looked terrible.  
  
Andrew looked at his best friend with regret in his eyes. "All I'm going to say is that before the day ends, you won't be able to talk to her. Darien, you don't have much time! Go after her! Explain the situation!" He didn't need to be told a second time. He was out of his seat and running towards the house of his one true love.  
  
**********   
  
Breathing in he walked up to her front door. Knocking three times he stood back and waited for someone, hopefully Serena, to answer. Well, hope was not enough in this case, because her mom's head popped outside.  
  
Rolling her eyes she glared at Darien. "What do you want? Didn't I tell you the other day to stay AWAY?"  
  
"Mrs. Tsukino please, I need to speak with her. Is she home?" He could feel the tears coming back.  
  
Upon noticing this, Mrs. Tsukino couldn't help but feel guilty about how she had been treating him. "Darien, I'm not going to tell you exactly where she is, but I'll tell you this, you're too late."  
  
The tears made their way down his face. Too late? This couldn't be. Where did she go? When would he see her again? WOULD he see her again? He needed to know. Falling down to his knees he began to beg. "Please Mrs. Tsukino, please, you have to tell me. I need to talk to her! She doesn't know the truth..." he shook his head when he got no response from her.  
  
"Truth?"  
  
He nodded his head. "Please Mrs. Tsukino, I need to see her, talk to her! I need to know where she is! I...I don't want to be left here alone...facing all the fear and loneliness I felt before. Without her, I feel nothing but emptiness. Please, where is she?"   
  
She looked at him. Could she really trust him to not hurt her daughter again? And was it really a risk she was willing to take? "She's at the airport. Her plane leaves in about 20 minutes. But you won't make it on time. Not if you're going on foot...and I don't see you're car, so I'll take you. But I want to know everything on the way there, ok?" She smiled at him as his eyes suddenly became filled with happiness. Grabbing her shoes, she walked out of the house and closed the door behind her.  
  
**********  
  
"So, you weren't cheating on her?" He shook his head. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you. I should have let you explain." Pulling up to the airport, she let Darien out. "Darien, I wish you the best of luck. Get her back." He nodded and took off running to the gate that she would be boarding at.  
  
**********   
  
"Last call for all passengers to board for flight 941."  
  
This was it. She took one last look around and stepped toward the door that would lead her to the plane.  
  
"Serena wait!" She whirled around to see Darien running toward her. She didn't want to see him, not now, not when her life was about to begin turning around again. This only gave her the motive to get to the plane faster. 'Why won't you just listen to me?' He ran faster. Catching up to her, he grabbed her shoulder.  
  
"Serena, please listen to me." He stared at her, but she looked away. Grabbing her chin and turning her to face him, he continued. "You misunderstood what was going on the other day Serena. That girl, her name is Terra. She's a..."  
  
"NO! I don't want to hear any excuses! I'm starting a new life WITHOUT you!" She pulled away from him and handed over her flight ticket to the lady next to her. He tried to grab her arm, her hand, anything! But his attempts proved to be useless as she moved away from his grasp. She stepped into the hallway that would lead her to the airplane and into a new life. And not once did she look back at him.  
  
Darien broke down in tears. She was leaving him, forever. 'What about Rini? What about our future together?' He was afraid now. 'If she never comes back, then she'll never know exactly how you feel' his heart cried out. 'Call out to her Darien, tell her what you feel in your heart' his mind commanded. He nodded, though no one around him understood why. He needed to tell her how he felt. Standing up, he said the words he had told her numerous times. "Serena! I love you!" And with that, he turned around and began to walk away in defeat. He didn't even notice when she stopped in the hallway and dropped to her knees.  
  
**********  
  
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! We left you guys hanging AGAIN! *smiles* Well, if we don't get TOO many bad comments on the ending of this chapter, we might just be willing to make the next chapter the last one, then everyone will know everything that is going to happen, but...it all depends on you! Well, we hope you enjoyed (cause it's just the bestest story in the whole world...lol...we're just joking!) and we hope you all are happy that we took the time tonight to finish up this chapter! Give us feedback peoples! Please? Can't wait to hear from ya! TTFN!  
  
~Merc and Usagi  



	5. New Life

Title: Too Perfect To Be Real  
Author: Merc   
Chapter: 4  
E-mail: MoonGirl015@yahoo.com   
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: *does a happy dance* I don't own Sailor Moon!!! But I guess you might be wondering why I'm so happy? Because! *Holds up mamo-clone* I own one of these!   
Author's notes:  
  
Well, I must say, getting chapter four out took longer than I thought. I had it all written out, but I wanted to revise it (and I had VERY good reasons to do so, right Juno? *evil grin*) and I must say now, my co-writer, Usagi, has gone off to college, so she couldn't be here to help re-write...*sniffs* So I'm finishing up the rest of my story by myself. Oh, that makes me feel kinda lonely. ANY-WOO! Here it is, and I know Juno wanted this SO bad...chapter 4! Hope you enjoy it!  
  
~Merc  
**********   
  
"Serena! I love you!"  
  
Serena fell to her knees. The words that had just been spoken by the man that had once been her life called out to her, but she didn't notice. Instead she heard the cries in her heart. Cries for help, of hurt and pain. Her friends were desperately calling out to her. 'No' she shook her head. 'They're calling out for someone I can't be anymore. Someone I never *could* be. Sailor Moon can't protect her friends if Serena Tsukino doesn't believe in herself anymore.' She stood again, pulling her bag up along with her and ignoring the weird glances people passing by gave her. She was going to start a new life away from Sailor Scouts and enemies of the Negaverse. But above all, she was starting a new life away from Darien. Besides, her friends were strong enough to take care of themselves.   
  
She stopped just before entering the airplane as a rush of cold wind passed by her. A vision of the Sailor Scouts gathering energy enter her mind. A very angry monster began to advance on the defenseless girls and Serena began to shake out of fear. Would this be the end of her friends? All because of a choice she made? As if in answer to her questions a streak of red flashed between the Sailor Scouts and the giant. She let out a deep breath as she realized Tuxedo Mask had arrived. The scouts would be able to handle it now. Shaking off everything that had gone on in the past five minutes she passed a very confused flight attendant, smiling as she walked down the isle. Just a few more hours and she'd be living a new life.  
  
**********   
  
A handsome young man looked up from his newspaper as the blonde sat down next to him. He peered at her from behind his dark sunglasses with curiosity. He shook his head and chuckled slightly as the beauty beside him struggled to place her bag under the seat in front of her. He smiled to himself. 'This is going to be an interesting trip.'  
  
"Can I help you with that?" He leaned over and easily slid the bag underneath the seat. Coming back up he gave his most charming smile. "Those things can be kinda tricky to put under the seats, but once you've done it a lot, it gets easy." He brought his hand out for her to take. "My name is Seiya Kou." His eyes sparkled with delight when he saw her lips curl up into a smile of her own after taking his hand and gently shaking it.   
  
"I'm Serena Tsukino..."  
  
**********   
  
The scouts looked at the new arrival after the monster had turned to dust. Each shocked that he would even think to come near them after what he had done to Serena. "Darien," Lita spoke up. "May I ask what you're doing here?" She began cracking her knuckles and smiled triumphantly when Darien backed away slightly.  
  
He looked around, it seemed that all of the girls were wondering the same question, the look of pure disgust and hatred evident on their faces. Even Ami, sweet innocent Ami, had a look of hatred towards him. He covered up the emotions in his heart and turned everything to ice. "Excuse me, but if I hadn't shown up when I did you all would have been monster food. You should be grateful I came to protect you."  
  
Mina shook her head. "Protect." She turned to the other girls and slightly giggled. "He came to protect us." The tone of sarcasm was disregarded by Darien. "And how, may I ask 'oh-great-protector', do you expect to protect us from getting hurt if you can't even protect your true love's heart from being hurt?"  
  
His mind screamed out in frustration. He'd had enough of people not listening to what the truth was. "Mina, it isn't what you think! The night I took Serena out I was going to propose to her. She had slipped off to the bathroom when the waitress came around. It turned out she was a good friend of mine that had gone off to college in Europe. We'd call each other now and then, but eventually that died out. When I saw her that night I told her about my plans to propose to Serena. She gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek before leaving." It was here that his voice dropped down to a whisper. "Serena never gave me the chance to explain, and now she's heading off to America to start a new life, away from me." He turned away, ashamed at himself for letting her go.  
  
Rei put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "So then, it was all a misunderstanding?" Rei shook her head. "It all makes sense now. I knew the sacred fire wouldn't lie to me."   
  
Ami smiled reassuringly at him. "Don't worry Darien. After knowing Serena for so long I know it would be impossible for her to stay in America without wanting to come back. You'll have your chance to explain things and make them go back to the way they were." The others mumbled their agreements.  
  
He turned and smiled gratefully at the four girls around him. "Thanks guys. I just hope you're right."  
  
Mina smiled. "Serena does love you Darien, and nothing in heaven or on earth can break that love. How long could she possibly stay away?"  
  
**********   
  
Serena smiled up at her best friend, Ashley, as she helped put Serena's hair up, both of their eyes dancing with happiness.   
  
"I can't believe it Serena! You and Seiya have been dating for one year now!" She giggled excitedly. "So, tell me what you two are gonna do tonight."   
  
Serena rolled her eyes. "But I've told you 5 times already! Are you really so desperate to learn all about mine and Seiya's relationship?" Serena smiled through the mirror at her friend.   
  
"You know as well as I do that I love romantic things. And your relationship is so romantic! I mean, think about it! All of the things he's done for you in this past year. He gives you a rose every week, I can't even count the number of stuffed Teddy Bears you have piled in your room! And not to mention, he's written you so many songs! Don't you remember the night we double dated and he got up on stage and sang one of his songs just for you? It was so sweet!"  
  
Serena laughed. "Of course I remember! How could I forget?" Her eyes glazed over as she went on. "Seiya is perfect. He's sweet and funny..."  
  
"Don't forget romantic and VERY handsome!"  
  
"I was getting there! But anyways, tonight he's taking me to the moonlight tower..."  
  
Ashley smiled. Of course she knew what was going to happen tonight. She and her fiancé, John, had helped Seiya plan. But Ashley was not one known for keeping secrets, so she tended to drop "subtle" hints. "Where boyfriends always take their girlfriends to propose! You can't forget that's where John proposed to me!" The brunette reached her hand over to show Serena the diamond ring placed on her finger for the third time that day.  
  
"Ashley, the only reason I can't forget that is because you keep reminding me every two seconds!" Serena giggled. "Anyways, Seiya tells me he's got a surprise planned over there. Of course, I have a feeling I know what it is and *don't* say anything," Serena held up her hand to stop her friends comment. "But then, after all of that, he's taking me to the park and we're renting a boat for the lake. And we might end up going back to his apartment..." Serena gave her friend a sly smile and both girls broke out in a fit of giggles.  
  
Once the laughter had subsided, Ashley went back to working on Serena's hair, making sure not to mess anything up. "Well Serena, I must say, you are one lucky girl."  
  
Serena smiled. "We're both lucky girls Ashley. After all, we both found the men of our dreams." Ashley nodded in agreement.  
  
"We sure did."  
  
**********   
  
Seiya fingered the black velvet box placed in his pocket again. For some reason it helped to calm his nerves, and that was exactly what he needed. After one year of dating Seiya was certain Serena was the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. She was fun and sweet, she had a great sense of humor and was so carefree, not to mention she was the most beautiful angel he had ever seen.   
  
He looked down once again to make sure his tuxedo was perfect and when he was confident it was, he knocked on the door to Serena's apartment. He had helped her find this place when she had first come here one and a half years ago and it had been "conveniently" near his place. She had met Ashley close to a year ago from her work, and they had immediately become friends. And of course Serena was incredibly excited when she found out Ashley needed a new place to stay and had offered her apartment right away. All of them, including John, had become good friends and often did a lot of double dating, but tonight was just for him and Serena. He smiled inwardly as he mouthed 'Serena Kou'.   
  
As expected, Ashley answered the door. "Seiya!" She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him inside hugging him tightly as she began to wail.   
  
He shook his head and chuckled. "Why is it that women always get so emotional at times like these?"  
  
She stepped back and wiped her tears away. "Let's just say it's a girl thing."  
  
He shook his head. "So I've figured."   
  
"Seiya?" He turned his head slowly against his will when the sound of her voice filled his ears. At first he thought he was hallucinating, because before him was a beautiful angel clothed in a white dress with small pink flowers on it. There were thin straps and the dress clung tightly to her upper-body. Once the dress reached her waist, it puffed out ending just slightly above the ground. Her hair was done up in a bun on top of her head with delicate curls coming out around it. A shiny tiara was placed around the bun completing the look of her hair. His eyes dropped to her face and he practically melted at the sight of it. Her lips were the perfect shade of pink and had been glossed over making them look shiny. Her cheeks were slightly covered in a soft blush and her eyes had a pale blue eye shadow on them covered over with silver sparkles. Her blue eyes glistened as she stepped forward slightly.   
  
Seiya's mouth opened and closed a couple times before he could find his words. "Have I died and gone to heaven? Are you really an angel?" Serena giggled and she could hear Ashley sighing from somewhere behind Seiya. He walked forward and held his hand out and she took it eagerly.  
  
"I'm whatever you want me to be muffin." He smiled at his nickname.  
  
"I don't want you to be anything but Serena Tsukino tonight." He pulled her towards the door. "Are you ready to go Princess?"   
  
She nodded and stepped out of her apartment door waiting for Seiya to follow her out. He took her arm in his and led her to the elevator. Once inside he spoke up. "I have a small gift for you when we get to the limo."  
  
Her eyes lit up. "You rented us a limo? Wow, you really out did yourself today! And why on earth did you get me a gift? One would think that all you have done is enough."  
  
He smiled. "Well, the gift comes at a price." She looked at him questioningly and he instantly became serious. "I want to know why you moved so suddenly to America. I know you've said it was because of your job, but I can't help to think something else had a strong influence."  
  
Serena turned away and sighed as the elevator opened. She had been planning to tell Seiya the real reason she left for a long time, but always lost her nerve at the last moment. "All right Seiya, I'll tell you why I moved here. I think you deserve to know anyway." He frowned at the look of hurt that crossed her face, but he was determined to find out. He walked her slowly through the lobby, silence settling in upon them. His face lit up when he saw the limo. Hopefully that would take her mind off of whatever it was that could be hurting her, at least for a little while.  
  
They stepped out into the warm night air and Serena stopped in her tracks when she saw the shiny black limo waiting there. In the back of her mind she could hear Seiya laughing and she noticed he had already opened the door for her to step inside. "Oh Seiya!" She was breathless and excited. She stepped forward, not realizing the tall man walking down the sidewalk until they had bumped into each other. "Wow, I guess bad habits do die hard..." She mumbled to herself. Looking up she saw Seiya practically rolling on the floor in laughter. "Oh sure Seiya! Go ahead and laugh at me. There are plenty of things I can laugh at you for. Like the time John poured cold water down your..."  
  
"Here Serena," Seiya quickly interrupted, laughing nervously. "Let me help you up." He reached down and pulled her up to her feet easily. And then turned and helped the man Serena had ran into up as well. "Forgive her, sir. She's always been that clumsy."   
  
"Seiya!" Serena protested and Seiya began to laugh again.  
  
"I know she has." The couples' eyes quickly turned to the man. It was then that Serena realized the situation. She shrieked. "Darien!"  
  
**********   
  
That seems like a good place to leave it! *evil grin* I told you Juno! This was supposed to be the last chapter, but now I think there's gonna be at least two more chapters and an epilogue left. Maybe three chapters...I don't know! But what I *do* know is that I like the new direction everything is going. So, I guess you'll all have to wait for the next part, ne? Until then! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!  
  
~Merc  
  



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